Alder Biopharmaceuticals Inc. and Eli Lilly and Co. stand as the only developers of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) blockers that have generated human efficacy data in migraine patients, but Amgen Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals Ltd. are courting similar phase II success in the clinic.
Juno Therapeutics Inc.'s origins in three of the country's top oncology centers apparently has done plenty to help financing options for the Seattle-based firm, which added $134 million in series B cash to boost its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T-cell receptor (TCR) pipeline. In less than 12 months, the Seattle-based company has raised more than $300 million.
Investor jitters about cardiac side effects were quelled and full approval chances bolstered by interim phase III data from Amgen Inc.'s trial testing the second-generation proteasome inhibitor Kyprolis (carfilzomib) when combined with Revlimid (lenalidomide, Celgene Corp.) and low-dose dexamethasone against relapsed multiple myeloma (MM).
With an inhibitor of the Trk family of receptor tyrosine kinases in phase I, Loxo Oncology Inc. priced an upsized initial public offering (IPO) of about 5.2 million shares at $13 each, raising about $67.6 million for an effort to come up with a best-in-class compound.
In the race with Amgen Inc. to market a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor for high cholesterol, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. played catch-up by buying a priority review voucher (PRV) for $67.5 million from Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc., splitting the cost with alirocumab partner Sanofi SA.
With partner Sanofi SA, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. opened investors' eyes wider by making public the positive outcomes of nine phase III trials with alirocumab, a proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitor, in hypocholesterolemia.
Kalobios Pharmaceuticals Inc. asked for and got back the rights to KB001-A from Sanofi Pasteur, under terms that at least one analyst deemed "attractive" – especially given that the pharma partner was hardly moving the antibody along at a brisk pace.
Word that a pair of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may drop two nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) from their formularies sent Horizon Pharma Inc. shares into a tailspin and caused onlookers to speculate about further pushbacks from payers and their agents against high drug prices.
Gene therapy specialist Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. (AGTC) banked new funds with a stock sale of 2 million shares priced at $15 each, for a net haul of $30 million, following by several months an initial public offering (IPO) that pulled down $50 million.
Companies priced their initial public offerings (IPOs) in two hot therapeutic spaces, immunotherapy and biosimilars, proving that the window remains open – at least for the right candidates, if not at the hoped-for yield. But another firm withdrew its IPO, which could mean tighter times ahead.
